Q&A
New rating system for bridge and tunnel conditions report
0:41:58
ยท
3 min
Council Member Brooks-Powers inquires about the new rating system implemented in DOT's bridge and tunnel conditions report. First Deputy Commissioner Forgione explains the changes and challenges in developing the new system.
- DOT implemented a new condition rating scale to comply with Federal Highway Administration mandates
- The new system required translating multiple component ratings into a single bridge rating
- DOT spent time developing and validating the new rating methodology with federal and state authorities
Selvena Brooks-Powers
0:41:58
Yeah.
0:42:02
I'll come back to this area if my colleagues don't pick that up.
0:42:07
Going to bridges and tunnels.
0:42:12
As you may recall, I was quite intrigued on this topic the last time we talked about it.
0:42:18
So as of calendar year 2023, DOT owns, operates, and maintains 786 non movable bridges, 23 movable bridges, and 4 vehicular tunnels throughout New York City.
0:42:34
As of December 31, 2020 3, the condition of the city's bridges in the 2022 to 2023 bridge and tunnel annual conditions report indicated, as I mentioned in in my opening remarks, the different ratings.
0:42:52
So this is the 1st year that DOT's bridge and tunnel conditions report has implemented the new condition rating scale.
0:43:01
Can you please provide the committee with an overview of the new rating system?
Margaret Forgione
0:43:06
Yes.
0:43:07
Thank you for that question.
0:43:09
So it's been a little complicated over the last years to develop and to issue our bridge ratings, but first and foremost, I want to emphasize that at every moment, we are well aware of the condition of all of our bridges.
0:43:23
So we do inspections, the state does inspections, and, we've been on top of the conditions of every bridge at every at all times.
0:43:32
But in 2016, the Federal Highway Administration mandated a new system of guidelines from AASHTO, that we needed to comply with.
0:43:41
And and this really changed how we reviewed the bridge inspections and issued the bridge ratings.
0:43:48
As you know the city charter requires a single bridge rating, where this FHWA system did not.
0:43:55
So we have spent some time translating the ratings into a single rating, which as you know, we have put out for 22 and 23.
0:44:06
And now that we have developed, a better system and we really have a very good handle on this and we feel confident of it, the next Bridge report, which will cover 2024, will come out much more quickly this year.
Selvena Brooks-Powers
0:44:23
Did you also report on the individual component ratings?
0:44:28
I have
Margaret Forgione
0:44:29
I have the bridge ratings, which, should match what you have.
0:44:32
Is
Selvena Brooks-Powers
0:44:49
Now why was this report delayed to the point that it needed to encompass the 2 years' worth of ratings?
Margaret Forgione
0:44:56
Right.
0:44:56
So as I mentioned, we were working hard to develop a single rating that we believed properly expressed the condition of the bridge.
0:45:06
So, you know, we have now been using this FHWA system, which has many different components of the bridge, but we had to produce, as per the charter, we needed to produce one rating for the bridge.
0:45:18
So we have spent a number of years going back and forth with, the Federal Government and with the State Government, you know, State DOT to review our methodology of translating these ratings.
0:45:30
So that definitely took some time, but we're now in a place that we feel much more confident with that.